Implementing and Operating Cisco Enterprise Network Core Technologies (ENCOR) v1.2ArchitectureMedium
A large manufacturing company is deploying a new IoT solution that requires connecting thousands of sensors in a harsh industrial environment. These sensors generate small amounts of data infrequently but demand high reliability and low power consumption. The network design must ensure secure communication and efficient data backhaul to a central data lake. Which edge computing model is most appropriate for this scenario?
- AThick Edge
- BThin Edge
- CCloud Edge
- DFog Computing
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Thin Edge
Thin edge computing involves simple, low-power devices (like sensors) that perform minimal processing and primarily focus on data collection and secure transmission. This aligns with the requirements for thousands of sensors in a harsh environment, generating small infrequent data, with high reliability and low power consumption, backhauling to a central data lake.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Thick Edge devices have significant compute and storage, performing complex analytics closer to the source, which is overkill for simple sensors.
- C. Cloud Edge relates to extending cloud services to edge locations but doesn't specifically describe the characteristics of the IoT sensor devices themselves.
- D. Fog Computing is a distributed computing paradigm extending cloud services closer to the edge, often involving more powerful devices than simple sensors.
Thin Edge Computing
An edge computing model characterized by simple, low-power devices with minimal processing capabilities, primarily focused on data collection and secure forwarding.
- Suitable for large-scale sensor deployments.
- Low power consumption and cost.
- Typically sends raw or lightly processed data to a central system.
Memory trick: Thin edge is for 'tiny data', thick edge for 'heavy lifting'.